Large-cap fund managers, desperate for stocks with earnings momentum, have herded into eBay: 211 large-growth and large-blend funds, or 20% of the 1,072 funds in the two categories, reported taking a new stake in the company during the past four quarters, according to research conducted by Morningstar for TheStreet.com. The stock is now in 34% of all large-growth and blend funds, up from 9.8% two years ago. And the flock into eBay doesn't show any sign of slowing: The stock is up 5% Wednesday to $93.62. This "institutional herding" -- when mutual funds flock to a particular stock -- has major implications for investors weighing buying or short-selling eBay. While eBay continues to post growth far beyond Wall Street's expectations, the smart money has bid the shares up to perilously high valuations: Its current price-to-earnings multiple stands at 110; forward P/E is about 60. However, short-selling eBay in the face of stampeding fund managers is a losing proposition. http://www.thestreet.com/funds/thelongrun/10082455.html
Here is a quiz: Which glamorous nasdaq stock with superb growth, a near total monopoly, a business model that is infinitely scalable and a cult following also has zero SARS exposure and in fact may benefit from the SARS scare? Answer: Da Bears. * ___________ *For those who were too young to watch Saturday Night Live back when it was funny, this is a codeword for an answer you already knew because of the love, devotion and adulation you hold for it.
Question: What kind of effect will investors who have sell limits at 100 have? And what happens IF (that's a BIG IF) it hits 99.2 and begins to retreat? Panic sale? My offer is at 99, cover somewhere just above 101. I've heard more than one tale of someone who said "I was going to sell at 50, and it made it to 49.5 and then tanked". If I were wanting to take a significant long Ebay position, I'd wait for it to clear 100. How many institutional buyers are waiting to see if it can collapse just before 100 and buy up later? I'd at least wait for high 90's before shorting. Or at least let it duck back under a moving avg or have *some* indication that says you are not committing financial suicide. See if Monday offers some kind of confirmation. And lastly, this isn't a yahoo message board, so could people stop w/ the "EBAY at 100 in 2 wks" bs?